Experts must state if switch to daylight saving time is worthwhile - Medvedev
GORKI. Mach 24 (Interfax) - A deadline must be set for experts to report on whether the switch to daylight saving time will be worthwhile, President Dmitry Medvedev said.
"We must now assess the economic effects of the switch," Medvedev said at a meeting on this issue on Wednesday.
Ordinary citizens usually criticize this practice, he said. "I have not heard anyone say this is good. But there are economic arguments I have heard on many occasions, which need to be assessed," the Russian president said.
"I propose giving some additional time to experts to think and draw up a final report on whether this should be done at all," Medvedev said.
"If we finally decide that this should not be done, we could give up the practice of changing to daylight saving time," he said.
"Our space could fall-out of the world space to some extent if we do," but some countries, including countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, have taken this step, he said.
The discussion has been going on since 1981, when Russia switched to observing daylight saving time for the first time, Medvedev said.